[White Wolf]

First reaction – spooked.

That is a good thing, for as Jimmy says, “If winning was easy, then everybody would be doing it. It's the hard that makes it great!”

This is our second year; we are old rookies. For the new rookies sake, I am grateful they can shoot hoops and herd balls. It makes it conceivable for them to compete. Heck, I am grateful our team has the possibility of shooting hoops and herding balls.

I believe experienced teams have advantage because they are, well, experienced. From my perspective as team coach, it is unfortunate that so many tough tasks are repeats from preceding years. However, it is an opportunity for our team to reach out to more experienced teams and ask for guidance, war stories, and encouragement.

I extend a challenge and a request to a knowledgeable someone. There is a wealth of experience on little balls, big balls, bars and more. Could someone create a document organizing best of breed solutions from previous competitions where similar problems were posed? Having lots of white papers and discussion groups, a la Delphi, is truly great. However, it is hard to absorb and assess it all. An informed overview would be a wonderful touchstone for old and new rookies. Note: I am prepared to have my ignorance pointed out to me that such a thread already exists; where many someones have already posted their newbie overviews. Being a teacher, I am quite comfortable with my ignorance.

First response – excited.

I like the breadth of both undiscovered strategy and engineering opportunity. As Miguel says, "Only he who attempts the absurd is capable of achieving the impossible."